Pia Ranada of Rappler versus new Presidential spokesman: Pia tried to dish a hard question but for Roque, it was not hard enough!

If you’d recall, Malacanang spokesman Harry Roque issued a stern warning to critics of Duterte to expect hollow blocks coming their way if they do nothing but attack PRRD.

So yesterday, the news Presidential spokesman met the Malacanang Press Corps and Pia Ranada of Rappler did not waste this opportunity to ask Roque to expound on the hollow block threat to critics.

As usual, Ranada opened her questioning by asking Roque to confirm the news that PRRD is set to give him another job, on top of his Presidential mouthpiece duty, which the good Secretary confirmed.

But he assured that the other appointment will not in any way interfere with his job as the Presidential spokesman.

Anyway, Ranada reserved the best question for last and asked Roque to expound on the “hollow block” threat, and this how the Roque-Ranada chit chat panned out.

Pia Ranada: Sir, in the previous days, you were giving interviews and you mentioned, especially those interviews with Asec Mocha Uson, you have threats against critics, you said you would throw hollow blocks at them and you also said you wouldn’t curse but you would scream at critics. Sir, I just wanna asked that these manners of speaking have a place in this administration, given that the admin not only represents Duterte supporters but all supporters regardless of political leanings?

Sec. Roque: Well, let me very clear I was addressing Mocha Uson’s 5 million followers and of course that was a public forum, no. But the message I wanted to sent to the DDS supporters that I have the all President’s back covered. You can take it literally or figuratively, but what I meant was since I believed in the free market of ideas, stones hurled are welcome but expect bigger stones thrown at you. I think that’s the nature of the free market of ideas. It is only where we have clashed of ideas that we are able to discern what the truth is and what is ?

Pia Ranada: Sir, do you think that the given the government are at a powerful position compared to ordinary citizens, that these kinds of language might create a threatening environment which actually are going to compromise the free market based of ideas that you so want to espouse?

Sec. Roque: With all due respect, I don’t think DDS supporters whom I was addressing had that in mind but for purposes of the mainstream media, I could assure you my track records speaks for itself.

How do you rate Sec. Harry Roque’s performance as the new Malacanang spokesman on his first meeting with the mainstream media?